Dropping Strings
by Dreamwalker620
Summary: A nameless evil has been controlling humans and youkai alike in the Feudal Era. Now the control is breaking, and the puppeteer's strings are being dropped. Can't promise on pairings yet...
1. A Deceptive Battle

Chapter 1: A Deceptive Battle  
  
Sesshomaru, Jaken and Rin were traveling through the forest as usual. The sun was beginning to set, and a beautiful purple hue lit up the horizon.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama, I'm getting tired," Rin yawned to her protector. "Just a bit farther child," Sesshomaru told her in his cold emotionless voice. They traveled to the top of a hill and then stopped to make camp. Sesshomaru and Jaken built a fire for Rin and fed her. She fell asleep almost immediately. Jaken curled up and fell asleep as well. Sesshomaru tried to sleep but found that he could not. He stared coldly into the dancing flames of the fire and was lost in his thoughts. Thoughts of pain. Thoughts of death. And thoughts of killing his shameful half- brother, Inuyasha.   
  
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and his group were still up and at it. They wouldn't rest until they had found the last shard of the Shikon jewel. Or until Miroku, who was helping the wounded Sango keep up with the group began to unknowingly grope her behind...  
  
SMACK! "Ouch! What the heck was that for?" Miroku mumbled sleepily. "YOU GROPED ME YOU HENTAI!" Sango yelled at the sleepy monk as she slapped him again. "I did?" Miroku said, trying to hide a gleeful smile. SMACK! "OK OK I'm sorry! I didn't realize what I was doing," Miroku protested as he rubbed his sore face.  
  
"I think we should stop here Inuyasha," Kagome suggested hopefully to the hurried hanyou. "No way. We've got to keep going until we find the rest of that jewel," he replied. "Kagome! Miroku just fell over flat on his face!" yelled Shippo from the back of the group. Inuyasha stopped and sighed. Kagome grinned impishly. "You were saying?" "Alright fine! We'll stop at the top of this next hill," he replied.  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha smelled something...something he wished he had been downwind of and could've smelled before. Kagome saw his muscles tense. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" she asked him. Then she felt it. The irresistible pull of the Shikon jewel. She gasped at how close it was. "Inuyasha! It's so close! How come I didn't feel it before?" Kagome asked the dog demon anxiously. "Feel what?" Inuyasha snapped. "A shard of the Shikon jewel, that's what," she replied.  
  
Inuyasha gasped. "How did he come to possess one of the shards?" Kagome frowned uneasily. "What's up with you anyway Inuyasha?" she asked. "I'm sensing...my brother." Now it was Kagome's turn to gasp in surprise. "Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha nodded. "Uh-oh. That can't be good," Kagome proclaimed.  
  
Shippo came darting up towards Inuyasha and Kagome. "Kagome! They won't stop fighting!" Shippo whined. And indeed Miroku and Sango were. Miroku was now pretending to be too sleepy to know what he was doing and was trying to grope Sango's breasts. Sango was in turn whacking him over the head with her Hiratsu and inwardly wishing she had a sit command for him. "Shhh!" Inuyasha whispered to them. Miroku and Sango immediately fell silent and stared where the other three were staring. The top of the hill.  
  
"What is it Inuyasha?" Sango asked. "Sesshomaru is at the top of that hill," Inuyasha informed them, "along with a lesser demon and a human child." "He has a shard of the Shikon jewel!" Kagome exclaimed. "Why does he have one of those?" Shippo asked. Inuyasha turned on him, annoyed. "What do you think I went up there and asked him? I dunno!" "Well sorry I asked Mr. Grumpy-pants," Shippo griped, and went back to playing with a flower he'd picked in the fields. "Come on guys, stop fighting. Let's just go camp somewhere else," Kagome protested. "What do you mean?" Inuyasha sneered. "This is a perfect, not-to-be-missed opportunity we have here. My brother on the top of that hill, probably asleep, with a shard of the Shikon jewel! I say I go up and battle him for his shard. And to kill him of course."  
  
"What?!" Kagome said. "You must be insane! You are still recovering from the wounds Naraku left you with on our last little jewel shard escapade. You're in no condition to be battling Sesshomaru today." Inuyasha merely shrugged her off. "Feh. Stupid. I'm half demon, remember? My wounds are nearly recovered. I can still take on my older brother, no problem."  
  
"I will fight by your side Inuyasha!" Shippo declared, leaping up from his spot on the grass. Miroku chuckled and patted the young kitsune on the head. "Sorry Shippo. You'll have to sit this one out." Shippo grumbled. "I always have to sit this one out..." "I'd be proud to fight by your side Inuyasha," Miroku said and bowed. Sango did the same. "Yeah yeah you can cut the drama now," Inuyasha told them. "I'll fight too Inuyasha," Kagome told him. Inuyasha looked between them all and sighed. "I doubt I'll need any of your help with this," he told them. They all rolled their eyes. They knew how Inuyasha loved to act tough in the face of danger. "Fine we'll just be your backup," Kagome told him sarcastically. "Fine. If you feel you have to," he growled.  
  
No one noticed when Shippo left the group grumbling. "I never get to help. Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm helpless. Does it?"  
  
I'm so confused. Ah well maybe it's better that I'm not in the battle anyway. Who wants to get splattered in guts and blood anyway? Ew.  
  
Shippo eventually found a small brook in a moonlit clearing. It made a pleasant sound, so he sat next to it and stared into the cool clear water, and before he knew it, he was curled up on the grass asleep.   
  
Sesshomaru had finally fallen asleep. In his dream he was lying on the top of the same hill he was lying on in real waking life, sleeping peacefully. It was then that he smelled a strange scent...it smelled like...Inuyasha!  
  
Sesshomaru woke up with a jolt and immediately sniffed the air. Yes his dream was indeed correct. His brother's scent carried through the air along with the smell of his human companions. He knew he must prepare for battle. But first he had to wake up Rin. Bloodshed was not a sight for children to see.  
  
"Rin. Wake up." Rin awoke, yawned, and smiled brightly at the youkai. "Sessho-sama! Is it time to go now?" "Yes Rin. You must go. But I will not be able to go with you on this trip." Rin expression turned downcast. "W...what do you mean Sesshomaru-sama? Rin must go somewhere all by herself?" Rin's eyes began to well up with tears. Within Sesshomaru's normally cold and emotionless soul a small feeling stirred and he managed a small smile towards the child. "Don't worry. I'm only sending you away for a short while. Jaken will go with you." He eyed Jaken who was snoring only a few feet away and kicked him to wake him up.  
  
"Master, what was that for?" Jaken sputtered, jarred by the rude and sudden awakening his master had given him.  
  
"I am about to go into battle with Inuyasha and his comrades. Doubtless you know this is not a sight for Rin to see. I want you to watch over her while she plays in the forest. I will alert you when it is safe to return," Sesshomaru instructed the minion. "Yes master Sesshomaru," Jaken replied. "Come girl. It is time we left here." Rin was at the point of tears. "Please Sesshomaru-sama don't make me go away! I want to stay here with you!" Sesshomaru's soul stirred again. "I promise you Rin that you will see me again soon. Now go play."  
  
Rin's face turned bright again, and she skipped off to do her master's bidding. A whole day with nothing to do but play! If only she could do it without smelly old Jaken. She stopped her skipping and glanced behind her. Jaken was watching her with an eagle's eye, following her every move. She sat down in the grass, trying to think of a way to outsmart the ugly toad. Finally she had it.  
  
Rin skipped along close to the forest's edge. Then, suddenly, she cocked her ear up to the wind. "What is it?" Jaken asked anxiously. Rin inwardly smiled. Her hearing was much better than Jaken's. "I think I hear Sesshomaru's signal! We may return! Hurray!" "Then let's go human," Jaken proclaimed. "Lead the way." Rin put a troubled look on her face. "But I don't know the way. I forgot." Jaken sighed. "Follow me." Jaken began shuffling through the grass to Sesshomaru's hill.  
  
Rin grinned. This had been too easy. She happily (but quietly) skipped away into the forest, leaving the stupid demon to wander towards the hill alone.   
  
Sesshomaru quickly crouched out in the open, waiting for his brother's attack. He then thought better of it and hid behind a tree to ambush the group.   
  
"Alright. So do we have a plan?" Inuyasha asked the group. "All is clear to me," Sango replied. "And to me as well," declared Miroku. Kagome was glancing around nervously and did not answer. "Wench! Weren't you paying any attention?" Inuyasha growled at her. "Hm? Oh, yes. I understand," she replied, startled out of her musing. "Where's Shippo?" "Probably gone off to pout," Inuyasha retorted. SMACK! "MIROKU YOU PERVERT!" Chaos ensued. "Oh will it ever end?" Kagome wailed in despair. Inuyasha sighed and shook his head.   
  
"Human, we are almost there. Human? Human?"  
  
Jaken finally turned around, only to discover that Rin was not there. His green skin turned pale and he began to spaz out.  
  
"AAH! MASTER SESSHOMARU WILL BE SO ANGRY! AAAAA..." He fainted.   
  
Rin giggled as she skipped through the forest. Stupid Jaken-sama! She had fooled him! Now she was free to play until she really heard Sesshomaru's call.  
  
After a while of playing, Rin came upon a small clear brook. She was very thirsty, and drank her fill of the cold, clean water. When Rin looked up and over to the other side of the brook, she saw something laying there.  
  
"What is it? It couldn't be a kitty. Kitties don't have ears like that. They're not that bright orange either. Wait...I KNOW! It's a FOX! But it's so little...maybe it's a baby fox! And maybe its mama left it all alone to fend for itself in the wild. Aw, poor little thing! I know! I'll take it to Sesshomaru-sama and ask if we can keep it! Then we can take care of it, and I can be its mama.  
  
Rin crossed the creek quietly, sneaking up quietly on what she took to be a baby fox. As she neared it, she noticed something strange; the fox was wearing clothes! Rin poked the little thing cautiously. When she did, she was greatly surprised when it rolled over and moaned, "Just five more minutes Inuyasha...late night storytelling with Kagome..." Rin jumped away, stunned. This fox spoke! When it uncurled and rolled over, she realized it had a face and hair like a human!  
  
Then Rin remembered something Sesshomaru had told her about... the kitsune. Half-human fox demons that roamed the forests. She couldn't remember if they were friendly or not though. Rin wondered if she should run or if she should stay and meet the creature, when it opened its eyes and looked up at her. And smiled.  
  
"Hi," the kitsune said. "My name's Shippo. What's yours?" Rin instantly grinned as well. "Rin's name is Rin!" she proudly proclaimed. Shippo suddenly frowned. "Where did you come from?" Rin smiled broadly as she answered the question. "Rin was sent away to go and play while Sesshomaru- sama took care of his business," Rin told Shippo. Shippo's frown deepened. "Sesshomaru?" "Well of course!" Rin giggled. "Sesshomaru is Rin's protector and Rin is his servant!"   
  
Inuyasha walked into the clearing at the top of the hill. Damn! Where is that bastard of a brother of mine? he thought. Probably hiding, ready to ambush him. Well he'd show that demon a thing or two about fighting.  
  
"Sesshomaru! Show yourself you coward!" Inuyasha yelled out recklessly. Sesshomaru only smiled slightly. "A little closer hanyou and I will fulfill your wish." Inuyasha took the fated step, and Sesshomaru took the bait. "Now!" shouted Inuyasha as his half- brother leapt out at him. Sango jumped out from where she had been hiding and slung her boomerang at the demon. Sesshomaru was slammed in the back with the hiratsu. He hardly even flinched as his claws ripped a gash in Inuyasha's side. Sango gasped as she saw her boomerang made from demon's bone break into three shards at Sesshomaru's feet.  
  
"But...how?" Sango asked. Then, from the bushes, Kagome caught sight of something glimmering on Sesshomaru's neck. "Inuyasha! Watch out! He has a jewel shard in his neck!" Kagome shouted. Inuyasha's face registered surprise. "But...why?" he gasped, trying to recover from the searing sensation in his gut. "He never wanted the shards!"  
  
"Ah but did he?" A voice came from atop a tree not too far away. All but Sesshomaru looked up into the tree to see a white baboon sitting there. "Naraku!" Kagome breathed. "Yes," Naraku chuckled. "Funny how easily people change isn't it?" "Naraku! You put the shard into Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha spat out. Naraku chuckled again. "Yes, indeed. But it really doesn't matter does it? You two were fighting ever since your father died, so I don't have to bother. But this makes him so much stronger, don't you think?"  
  
"Fool," Miroku said quietly. "Your puppet is no stronger than he was before you inserted the jewel. He is not invincible. He just does not feel the pain of his wounds. He will die with or without the shard." Naraku just smiled more gleefully. "Well then. Two down, and I doubt there will be any left to go." With that he vanished, and Sesshomaru attacked the wounded Inuyasha again.  
  
Deep in a castle far away in the western lands, a dark spirit was at work as it had been for the past hundreds of years. She was the one who dealt with the small group's fate, and toyed with their reality. An evil witch that had no name, and whose sole purpose was to make their lives a living misery. It was she who had the whole forest under her spells. She had prolonged her years farther than any mortal ever should have. Now she was beginning to come apart, the life slipping away from her body. Still she watched over her pools of darkness, manipulating souls, restoring souls. Soon her body would be lifeless, her corpse rotting in the small cavern she lived in that stank of black incense and blood.  
  
She had but one servant, and that was a lesser witch, Urasuea, which she had resurrected and now controlled using her evil magic. She grinned a malicious grin just thinking of what chaos would occur when she died, when all the souls were released from her hold. She was the one who made them who they were. Only a few had she not bothered to tamper with. Lesser humans were only messed with if a war was needed. Their minds were easily corrupted at the slightest hint of betrayal or if the slightest sliver of doubt was able to worm its way into their hearts. Lesser demons were dealt with in the same matter. Only bother with them if a war needs to be started.  
  
As she toyed with the strings of her puppets in the last days of her life, the nameless evil chuckled, a rasping noise escaping her throat. They would all meet their destruction soon enough. Meanwhile she would let the hanyou and his demon half-brother live for the time being. Yes, these last few days, when her powers began to fade on and off would be quite interesting to watch indeed. The strings were pulled, and the fight between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru continued on.  
  
"Sango!" Miroku crawled to the wounded demon-slayer, weakened as he was by his own wounds, and cradled her head in his hands gently. "Please! Speak to me...I cannot live with myself if you die!" The monk cried over Sango's broken body with true agony in his heart. Sesshomaru simply stared at him with cold, expressionless eyes. He glanced over to where Inuyasha lay in a pool of blood, and then to where Kagome lay, weeping from the sorrow and the pain. He had broken both her legs, and now she lay helpless in the blood-stained grass, unable to do anything but cry. All this he looked upon with no remorse, no sorrow for what he'd inflicted upon them.  
  
The jewel shard glinted upon his neck. Out of nowhere, Naraku appeared. He chuckled evilly. "Kukukukuku. This is excellent Sesshomaru. I had not expected you to fare so well against your brother and his notorious friends. Perhaps you were holding back before? Though why I do not know."  
  
Sesshomaru's steely gray eyes reflected no emotion to Naraku. They remained frozen and more emotionless than they had ever been in all his life as a demon. Naraku frowned mockingly and tsked at Sesshomaru disapprovingly. "You horrible youkai! Aren't you even a little remorseful for all you've done?" Sesshomaru stared on. Naraku frowned, not amused anymore. "Fine. I will let you free of the hold of the shard. Let us see what you think of the destruction you have caused."  
  
With that, Naraku pulled out the shard and disappeared. Sesshomaru blinked, released from Naraku's hold on him. It was then that he witnessed the bloodbath on the ground before him. Even for a demon like him, one who had seen countless battles and gore, this was a horrible sight to behold. Who had done this?  
  
Sesshomaru looked down at his hands and realized...they were coated in blood. At that moment, in a cavern far away in the western lands, a string dropped from the shaking hands that held it, and a single tear slipped down Sesshomaru's cheek. Kagome looked up, stunned. Was it possible? Was Sesshomaru...crying?  
  
Then the string was once again recovered, and Sesshomaru's tear fell to the grass below, never to be seen again. His eyes became cold and hard again, and he left the group without a word, never to return to that hilltop again. 


	2. The First String is Dropped

Disclaimer: As if none of you already knew, Inuyasha is not mine. But what you don't know is that Miroku is! Haaahahahaha! wakes up Darn and for a minute there I thought it was real. .  
  
And, well, sorry I didn't put in that and other things in the first chappy, but I was a bit pressed for time. I'll try to edit it when there's more of that. (Never. XP) I would enjoy a little R&R, but please don't flame me. This is my first fic...I would be crushed. : P  
  
Chapter 2: The First String is Dropped Rin sat next to Shippo on a tree branch at the edge of the forest. Both were oblivious of the destruction that had occurred on the hilltop. Rin was happy to have found a new playmate, and was grinning ear to ear. Shippo was in a more serious mood. How did Rin know about Sesshomaru? How could she have traveled with him? Sesshomaru thought of all humans as incapable weaklings. And yet he cared for this scrawny little girl? Oh well. It didn't matter. She obviously wasn't dangerous. Just a bit ditsy.  
  
Suddenly Rin jumped off the tree branch. "Master Sesshomaru calls Rin," she told Shippo. "Come come! You must meet him!" she insisted, pulling on Shippo's sleeve happily. Shippo had not told her of his allegiance to Inuyasha. Now he became apprehensive. "No," he told her. Rin frowned. "What's the matter? Don't you want to meet Sesshomaru-sama? He will take care of us, and we will travel with him forever and ever!" "No," Shippo told Rin, a little more firmly this time. Rin stared at him. "Don't you want Sesshomaru-sama to protect you? I'm sure he'll let you stay with us if I ask him to!" Shippo thought a moment. Then, quick as lightning, he pulled her hands from his sleeve and darted away.  
  
"How rude!" Rin said to herself. She knew she should follow Sesshomaru's call, and yet...she felt as if something was pulling her to the little kitsune instead. She was curious why he did not want Sesshomaru to protect him as he protected her. So she followed Shippo. He led her, unknowingly, to the same hill they had started out on. She heard him call out to someone.  
  
"Kagome? Are you there? Hello? Is anybody up there?" Shippo shouted. "Inuyasha? Kagome? Sango? Miroku? Anybody?"  
  
Shippo wondered why no one was answering. Then his little fox ears twitched as he heard a small voice call out to him. "Shippo? Is that you?"  
  
Shippo just about fell over with happiness. He ran up and onto the top of the hill, then stopped and stared. So much blood...all over...he glanced at where the voice had come from, and cried out as he saw Kagome lying there in a pool of blood. Both her legs were bent at odd and grotesque angles, and her clothes were stained red. He ran to her, ignoring the blood. "Kagome..." Her eyes were dull and lifeless, her face and body encrusted with blood. She managed a small smile for Shippo.  
  
"Kagome...what happened? Where are the others?" Shippo asked fearfully. He felt like he was staring at a corpse. Kagome nodded towards the other side of the bushes. Shippo was afraid to peek over at what lay there, but he racked up his courage and looked. There lay Miroku and Sango. Shippo couldn't tell if they were dead or not. Suddenly Miroku's eyes opened. "Sango...live...please..." was all the monk could say.  
  
Shippo couldn't stand it anymore. He began to bawl like a baby, his mournful wails echoing over the nearby hills and forests. Miroku looked up at him, and his expression changed to one of pity. No child should have to see such things. He reached his hand up painfully and patted the top of Shippo's head. Shippo's wails eventually became less and less lengthy, and eventually became the sniffles that come when there are no tears left in your body to cry.  
  
"Shippo...you must be brave now," Miroku told the kitsune. "You must go alone to get help for us all." Shippo's crying ceased, and he nodded, wiping away the last of his tears from his face. "Where...where is Inuyasha?" he asked. Miroku frowned. "I do not know. But go, now. Go to the nearest village and get help. Hurry Shippo." He laid his head over her heart and listened. "She will not last much longer."  
Shippo nodded grimly, and then took off running like he had never run before. He had no idea where the nearest village might be, but he knew that if he kept running, he would find someone eventually.   
  
Nearby, at the edge of the hilltop, Rin was crying silently. She did not know these people, but they were friends of Shippo's and they were badly hurt. She knew what she had to do. She took off running through the forest, running towards Sesshomaru's call.   
  
Sesshomaru was becoming annoyed. Why weren't Rin and Jaken coming? They never took this long to answer his call.  
  
Earlier he had painstakingly washed his garments and his flesh of the blood from the battle. Rin wouldn't suspect a thing. She never did.  
  
Just one thing remained unclear to Sesshomaru; why had he cried over his brother's death? Such a thing was unheard of. He never showed his emotions, if ever he felt any. So why? He did not know.  
  
Sesshomaru was interrupted from this train of thought by a figure running towards him. He recognized it as Jaken. The lesser demon's face was full of anxiety. Sesshomaru glared down at the flustered minion and waited for an explanation of why Rin was not with him. The explanation came in short spurts, seeing as how Jaken had been running.  
  
"Master Sesshomaru...I can explain...she tricked me...searched and searched...couldn't find her anywhere...please don't be angry!"  
  
Sesshomaru bored holes into Jaken with his glare. "So," he replied with no emotion, "You lost her." "Well master Sesshomaru, if you want to know what I think of the situation, I'd think of it more as she lost me! I couldn't find her anywhere! She obviously—"  
  
The demon's excuses were cut short by the appearance of a small figure approaching them. It was Rin. Sesshomaru showed no emotion at this besides raising an eyebrow at Jaken. Jaken stared, dumbfounded. Rin ran to them, a worried expression on her face.  
  
"Rin. We must go now," Sesshomaru told the girl in his usual icy manner. "No!" Rin said. "Sesshomaru-sama, Rin saw something on the hill! Lots of blood, and people! There was a battle, and they were hurt. We must go and help them!"  
  
Sesshomaru glared harder at Jaken, who now cowered under his robes, shaking. "That is none of our concern Rin," Sesshomaru told her. "We must continue in our travels as soon as possible." Rin stared up at him. "Sesshomaru-sama...you will not help them? Why?" Sesshomaru didn't know what to say. Then, suddenly, another string was dropped. Sesshomaru blinked, and stepped back, shocked by what he was feeling...was it shame...guilt...honor...why did he care about this little human girl's feelings? Why did he care about what she thought of him? Sesshomaru sighed. "Take ah-un and retrieve them. If it means that much to you." Rin stared at Sesshomaru's face. Something lay there in his eyes...something she'd never seen in them before...  
  
The string was pulled again, rather clumsily, and followed by cursing from the puppeteer. The emotion erased itself from Sesshomaru's face and the look he gave Rin was that of an indulging statue. "Go Rin. Bring the people back from the hill. Be quick about it, before I change my mind." Rin's eyes welled up with tears of joy. "Sesshomaru-sama...thank you," Rin whispered, then happily lead ah-un to the hill.  
  
Sesshomaru did not understand what was happening to him. His emotions were awakening. He was beginning to feel. This was not a good sign. Emotions were a weakness that humans had. Things like love, peace, and joy were things that played with the mind, and softened the soul. The only emotions Sesshomaru had were the ones he could harness and use for his own purposes, like hate, spite, and vengeance. They hardened him, made him into a warrior. Sesshomaru turned away from the direction Rin had started off in. He went to sit beneath a tree and ponder this symptom and how to rid himself of it.   
  
Shippo ran and ran, but could not find a village or town. He was beginning to tire. Suddenly he sensed that something or someone was behind him. He turned frantically, but saw no one. He felt something run past him in the darkness of the deep forest. He spun around to see what it was. Still he could see nothing. He was just about to take off running again when he felt an icy coldness pierce his neck. He had just enough strength of will to turn and catch sight of a figure in a white baboon pelt staring at him before he lost his consciousness and everything went black.  
  
Naraku chuckled as he watched the fox demon's eyes glaze over then clear, as one's eyes always did when pierced with one of the contaminated shards. Naraku knew this little demon was no use to him as far as fighting went. But that didn't matter now did it? Naraku chuckled evilly.  
Kukukukuku...they'll never know what hit them...   
  
Rin gently handled the limp bodies of Inuyasha and the rest of the group as ah-un nudged them onto its back. She hoped they were alive. But where was the kitsune? She looked over the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of Shippo running over the hills. But she did not see him anywhere. She sighed, and led ah-un to where Sesshomaru was waiting.   
  
"What news do you bring Urasuea?" "The lord Sesshomaru has taken Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and the girl from the well into his care at the girl's request." "And the kitsune?" "...is under the control of Naraku." "Ah, very good, very good. It is too bad that the strings fell from my hands and that my original plan could not be carried out. I had to take a tug at Naraku to make that one turn out alright." The hag wiped her forehead with one of her many arms. "I've had to infuse myself with demons in order to keep hold of them all. But there is something that is troubling me..." "What is it master?" the minion asked, curious to see what could be troubling the most powerful witch in all of feudal Japan. "That brat from the well...I cannot control her like I can the others. There is some magic around her that protects her from my hold, much like the magic that surrounds Kaede, the sister of Kikyo. But even Kaede is partly under my influence. I'm not letting her destroy that clay golem like she would if I did not control her inner wisdom."  
  
Urasuea pondered this. It was quite a serious issue indeed. Her mistress would not stress over it if it was not. She decided that she would disguise herself and watch the girl to see if she could find the source of her power. The nameless witch read these thoughts, and replied, "Go Urasuea, and carry out your plan. I will be watching."  
  
And so the minion witch left to obey her mistress's bidding.   
  
Sesshomaru sat in the grass, waiting for Rin to return. Why did he keep doing these things? He did not care for that weakling half-brother of his! So why did that tear fall? Why did he send Rin to save them?  
  
That led the great demon to another question; what had led him to committing the near-slaughter on the hilltop in the first place? He did not remember doing it, yet his hands and the Toukijin were coated with their blood.  
  
Sesshomaru did not like this thing that had begun to happen to him so often now. He felt like a mere puppet being pulled back and forth between opposing forces, as if he had no will of his own. He didn't know what to do with Inuyasha and his comrades when Rin brought them back. He shuddered at the thought of having to—to care for their wounds with his own hands. Then a thought hit him—the Tetsusaiga! Inuyasha would have it with him, as always. The corners of Sesshomaru's lips curved slightly upwards in a rarely-seen smile as he thought of the opportunity this presented to him. He settled himself against a tree trunk, anticipating Rin's return.   
  
Rin and ah-un plodded along on their way to Sesshomaru. Normally they would've been going much faster, but the burden of four people was a lot to carry, even for ah-un. All the while Rin scanned the horizon for Shippo. Where had he gone?  
  
Suddenly Rin heard a rustling noise behind her. She spun around to see what it was. She gasped with delight. It was Shippo, the little kitsune from the forest! Rin ran to him. "Konichiwa! Where did you go Shippo? Rin wants to know!"  
  
Shippo didn't answer. Instead he tackled Rin with a strength that was not his own and pushed her onto the ground. Rin laughed. "Shippo! This is not the time to play! Rin must get these nice people back to master Sesshomaru!" But Shippo would not budge. He struggled to pin her down as she struggled to get up. "Shippo," Rin told him, a hint of panic in her voice, "Get off. Stop it Shippo, that hurts!" Rin finally managed to push the kitsune off of her and got to her feet. She backed away from him, afraid.  
  
"Shippo...what's wrong? Aren't you friends with Rin anymore?" Rin asked in a small weak voice. Shippo's eyes darkened. He answered her in a monotone voice; "Hand over the reigns of that creature you lead." Rin smiled brightly again, not realizing the trouble she was in. "You mean ah-un? No, Rin is sorry, but Rin must lead ah-un back to Sesshomaru-sama. You can come with us though!" Shippo responded in a frozen tone, "Hand over ah-un now." Rin frowned. "No," she told him, and turned to take ah-un's reins.  
  
Suddenly and without warning, Shippo drew a knife from inside his sleeve. Rin heard him rush up behind her and turned to speak to him. "Shippo-"  
  
Her sentence was cut short as the knife's blade pierced her gut. Rin's face contorted in a look of pain and agony as the knife was drawn from her stomach. She fell to the ground, confused. Why? Why was this happening... again? Then her eyes glazed over, and a look of peace crossed the small girl's face as she died.  
  
A figure approached Shippo and ah-un. Ah-un became uneasy as it approached and bolted towards where Sesshomaru was. Quick as lightning the figure caught up with ah-un and pierced the dragon's neck with a shard of the Shikon jewel. Ah-un went limp, then rose from the ground at the figure's command. The figure laughed to itself.  
  
"Kukukukuku. Now I have taken all that is precious to Sesshomaru away from him. Things are going just as I planned."  
  
"No," a voice chuckled inside the mountain. "Things are going just as I planned."   
  
Naraku led Ah-un away to one of his illusionary castles. He could not risk taking him to his real castle. Sesshomaru would be angry indeed at this thing Naraku had done. But there was one more thing Naraku had to do before his plan was complete. He commanded Ah-un to lay the bodies down. He checked the pulses. All were alive, but barely. Even Inuyasha was faring poorly, and he with his demon blood...  
  
Naraku scoffed. This was no issue for him. He had what he wanted now. Well...half of what he wanted. The only thing left, was to get the Tensaiga, and Naraku knew just how to go about that. He called the little fox demon to him. The puppet appeared before him. Naraku instructed him on what to, and then settled back to watch his plan be carried out.   
  
Sesshomaru was growing impatient. What was taking Rin so long? He decided to go and see what was taking her so long. Sesshomaru got up out of his seat in the grass, and began walking leisurely down the hill. When he came to the bottom of the hill, his nostrils twitched. He smelled the scent of fresh blood. But whose blood...he felt as if he had smelled that same blood scent before...  
  
Then it hit him. Rin! Sesshomaru took off like lightening to where the smell was coming from. He arrived at the spot in the forest where the small girl lay. He saw the blank expression in the glazed-over eyes, and the blood around a small wound in her gut. He knew this sight...Rin was dead. Sesshomaru did not show any expression about this. His hand gripped the hilt of the Tensaiga, about to draw it and use its power.  
  
Suddenly, a figure leapt out of the forest and knocked Sesshomaru's hand from the sword. It turned to face him. Sesshomaru smirked. "Ah...Inuyasha. I did not expect you to recover so quickly. What are you here for? Surely not to challenge me."  
  
Then Sesshomaru sniffed the air around this figure. This was not Inuyasha...this scent was much weaker than his, yet he had smelled it before...  
  
Jaken jumped in front of him. "You will leave my master alone if you value your life!" the toad-like creature crowed. The figure threw a knife at Jaken, and immediately the creature died. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. Pathetic excuse for a demon. He would revive him later using his sword.  
  
The figure gave a demonic grin, and attacked Sesshomaru's hand once again. Sesshomaru jumped quickly away in a flash. But the figure was there, before he had landed! Sesshomaru tried again, but the figure was still too quick! Then the thing transformed again, into a little girl...Rin! Sesshomaru was mildly amused by this. What was this thing trying to do? Sesshomaru would slay it with one strike of his whip.  
  
He pulled the weapon back, ready to destroy the fiend. But then it did something unexpected. It ran to Sesshomaru and hugged his robe, just like Rin had. The scent of Rin overpowered him suddenly, and his hand stopped before he could deal the blow. What was going on? Sesshomaru's hand fell, the weapon in it useless. He was being pulled into an illusion of fear...fear that he might feel love, compassion, anything at all besides hate and cruelty. He looked at the little figure at his feet. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't move, was paralyzed.  
  
And then the puppet smirked. It used a knife in its pocket to cut Sesshomaru's sword from him. Sesshomaru was trapped, and couldn't do anything. He was left there, staring into the darkness of a cold future, all he treasured taken from him.   
  
Kagome's eyes slowly fluttered open. She was confused at first...where was she? Why did she smell blood? Then she felt the pain of her wounds, and a gasp escaped from her throat. She stifled it with her sleeve. She tried to look around, but her vision was blurred from the red-hot sensations in her upper body. Blood still oozed from the gash in her stomach. She could not move her legs...couldn't feel them at all through the rest of the pain. She spotted her companions lying next to her in dirty furs. She gasped at how bad they looked. She realized that she herself was probably a mess as well.  
  
It took her a moment to realize that Inuyasha was not there. Maybe he had gotten away...maybe he was going to save them...  
  
These were Kagome's last thoughts before she drifted back into a deep state of unconsciousness.   
Shippo returned to his master, clutching the heavy sword in his small fists. He had done the unimaginable; robbed Sesshomaru of all that was prized to him. His sword...the only human he had ever loved...all of it, gone. But Shippo had no idea, no idea what he had done, and what he would do now. Of course not; that was the power of the shard...to deceive. To control. And that was exactly what Naraku did. He deceived, and he controlled. So, naturally, the shards were perfect for his purposes. He had almost all of them now, having captured this girl Kagome. She intrigued him somehow. And he knew why.  
  
Naraku frowned. 'This human heart of mine lusts for this girl as it does for her pre-descessor, Kikyo. Well, no matter. I will kill them both, in time. However, this girl can, I sense, see the shards of the Shikon no Tama. I could put this to good use as I have done with Kikyo in the past. Yes, that would be the most sensible thing. But...I need to control her.'  
  
Naraku took a shard from the nearly-completed jewel and made a move as to stick it into Kagome's shoulder. Suddenly, the girl rolled on her back and mumbled, "I see the shard Naraku. There is no need to put it into me. Let my friends go and I will help you find the shards of the Shikon no Tama. Naraku was surprised by this. The girl's eyes were half-closed...she was doing all this in her subconscious, perhaps? Maybe she was even more powerful than she revealed. He decided to respect the wishes of this miko. Her friends were no longer anything to him anyway. He would just leave them on a roadside to die.  
  
"Agreed," he said to the half-asleep Kagome, reinserting the shard into the jewel. He took the bodies on the furs over to the two-headed dragon, and put them on its back. Then he took the shard from the dragon and it bolted away, into the faraway horizon.  
  
Sango awoke from what she thought had been a deep deep sleep. She...could not remember where she was...who she was...  
  
Then she spied a man lying on her breast. Such a familiar man...who was he? He had an odd string of beads around his right hand...  
  
And then she remembered. Miroku...the fight...or should she call it a slaughter? The world was going by awfully fast. They were on a beast of some kind. Kirara? No...this was not Kirara. Where was Kirara?  
  
Inuyasha was lying on another part of the beast. He...was not awake. He was barely alive. Sango lifted her hands. Her clothes were torn, and stiff with dried blood, and the pain that came from just lifting her hand made her cry out in despair. But her hand did reach...Miroku's head. She stroked his hair...he had been beside her for the whole battle hadn't he? Suddenly his head moved!  
  
"Sango...don't die..." the houshi mumbled, his eyes coming open. "I'm...not dead," Sango told him, her breathing heavy. "I...I couldn't protect you Sango. Inuyasha is right. I am truly the most pathetic member of our group. I'm sorry..." He trailed off as Sango caressed his face. "You did your best houshi-sama. You did your best...Miroku." With that, they both slipped back into the oblivion of blackness that awaited them.  
  
Sesshomaru was leaning up against a tree, wondering. What should he do? He had no healing sword...no servant...no...Rin. Her corpse lay on the other side of the hilltop. Another hilltop...so many here. So many histories about them. Sesshomaru had...nothing to live for. His brother was dead now. His servant, and the only human he had ever loved-  
  
Sesshomaru's head jerked up, contempt in his eyes. 'No...she was my property. That was all. Property. I could never feel love for a human...even one so wonderful as Rin.' He shook his head again. 'Dammit! What is happening to me? I—'  
  
Suddenly a great coughing came from under the mountain. Urasuea rushed to her master's side. "Dammit..."the old hag grunted. "I am becoming too weak to hold this youkai's strings any longer! Now will be the time to see how my most controlled puppet works...without strings." With this, the most old and powerful witch in history, the one who controlled all things, let Sesshomaru's strings go.  
  
Yay! Please R&R so I can feel special!!! 


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